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Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Reports and reaction from the 2014-2015 season as Walsall finished 3rd in League 1
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PT
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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:35 pm

I thought Rochdale were superb.

We were bad, really bad. Players had obviously been told to line up a bit different today and they didn't like it. Dunno what position Forde played, don't think he did either. Sawyers was filling in at centre-back in the first half and was given Andrews to pick up at set-pieces. They played a high-line than seemed to just bewilder Milan who was caught offside. Chambers was centre-back in the end (playing them all on for the third) while O'Connor ended up at left-back. Evans was shocking and Taylor never really recovered from giving them the ball after 20 seconds. In other words we were a complete shambles. Add in a dose of weariness against a side who were magnificent and it could have been truly embarrassing.

Not the end of the world but you worry that this was ODriscolls first attempt at lining up in his shape and it was a disaster.

Don't care about the Brentford game, so ten days to sort it out.

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sid swifty
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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:37 pm

First league game I've been to for 4yrs,if Walsall were as bad as they looked today they would be in the bottom 3, so it must be one of those once in a while performances.I must admit though, Rochdale were electrifying, Walsall just couldn't live with the energy and fight their midfield put into the game,or the speed and skill of their forwards especially Donal Mcdermott,what a player.

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kshammer
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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:42 pm

Absolute cack today. Should have been 5-0 and every player bar Etheridge were between poor and abysmal.

Ah well it's a marathon not a sprint and so onwards and UTS. They've not let us down much this season so it is one to forget.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:46 pm

Wow didn't go but that looks a shocker and seems it wasn't just Rochdale crossing the halfway line three times and scoring on each occasion, it was fully deserved.

I guess given five straight wins a team with few changes was not to be expected but I dunno seems Taylor did well to play v Posh through an injury so thought he might've been taken out and replaced by Rico from the start. And Bradshaw has to start when fit surely?

Shows you how tough automatic promotion is going to be. One defeat after five straight wins and suddenly back down to 3rd as Gillingham and Burton just aren't going away. Coventry had shooting practice and whacked up their GD.

January a very big month on and off the pitch.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:55 pm

sid swifty wrote:First league game I've been to for 4yrs,if Walsall were as bad as they looked today they would be in the bottom 3, so it must be one of those once in a while performances.I must admit though, Rochdale were electrifying, Walsall just couldn't live with the energy and fight their midfield put into the game,or the speed and skill of their forwards especially Donal Mcdermott,what a player.


Did you dust off the easy fit replica top? :mrgreen:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:09 pm

PT wrote:Not the end of the world but you worry that this was ODriscolls first attempt at lining up in his shape and it was a disaster.


Same shape as against P'Boro I thought, midfield diamond with Chambers at the bottom, Sawyers/Forde/Evans rotating the other three positions. Not sure why Forde was preferred to Mantom but obviously that's not the only reason we were awful (Rochdale really were brilliant). It was obvious very early on that it wasn't working, very surprised the "solution" to that was Sawyers dropping ever deeper, rather than sticking one of Lalkovic or Cook on one wing, Forde on the other and reverting to 4-2-3-1.

Needed pace in the side, runners from midfield to exploit the high line Rochdale played.

Hopefully just a blip...

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:14 pm

whatever the formation it's taking Sawyers out of the game, he was terrifying teams only 6 weeks ago!

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:29 pm

Bristol Fan wrote:
PT wrote:Not the end of the world but you worry that this was ODriscolls first attempt at lining up in his shape and it was a disaster.


Same shape as against P'Boro I thought, midfield diamond with Chambers at the bottom, Sawyers/Forde/Evans rotating the other three positions. Not sure why Forde was preferred to Mantom but obviously that's not the only reason we were awful (Rochdale really were brilliant). It was obvious very early on that it wasn't working, very surprised the "solution" to that was Sawyers dropping ever deeper, rather than sticking one of Lalkovic or Cook on one wing, Forde on the other and reverting to 4-2-3-1.

..


Maybe it was an attempt at the same shape but Forde and Sawyers's roles in the first half weren't as clear as Mantom's and Sawyers were in the previous game. You're right about how deep Sawyers had to drop. The result was a very very narrow formation against a very high line that would have required the skill of a slalom skier to create any cut-through.

Would have bitten your arm off for third at this stage as I honestly thought that the summer squad building would have meant we'd have far more days like today. Glad I was wrong and to date has been an utter one-off.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:34 pm

PT wrote:
Bristol Fan wrote:
PT wrote:Not the end of the world but you worry that this was ODriscolls first attempt at lining up in his shape and it was a disaster.


Same shape as against P'Boro I thought, midfield diamond with Chambers at the bottom, Sawyers/Forde/Evans rotating the other three positions. Not sure why Forde was preferred to Mantom but obviously that's not the only reason we were awful (Rochdale really were brilliant). It was obvious very early on that it wasn't working, very surprised the "solution" to that was Sawyers dropping ever deeper, rather than sticking one of Lalkovic or Cook on one wing, Forde on the other and reverting to 4-2-3-1.

..


Maybe it was an attempt at the same shape but Forde and Sawyers's roles in the first half weren't as clear as Mantom's and Sawyers were in the previous game. You're right about how deep Sawyers had to drop. The result was a very very narrow formation against a very high line that would have required the skill of a slalom skier to create any cut-through.

Would have bitten your arm off for third at this stage as I honestly thought that the summer squad building would have meant we'd have far more days like today. Glad I was wrong and to date has been an utter one-off.


Let's hope so PT :(

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:57 pm

We are all disappointed at today's result, but every cloud has a silver lining. UTS's resident master of facts and humble pie eating has been motivated to post again after the very public resignation from this board less than a week ago! :lol:

otiswfc wrote:No I'm sorry but I'm bored now of this I give an honest view on this forum only to be victimised by idiots I give analysis, attendance.stats and various other personal opinions as well as useful information im now logging out of this forum like the majority of Walsall fans I'm really sorry but you will never see otiswfc on this board again. Carry on with your boring nauseating views scott_powell 100,% guarantee u won't hear from me again and this board will be a more boring place.
Goodbye,
UTS,
I love walsall fc see you at Brentford,. Goodbye.


I, for one, feel so much better now. Welcome back, Mr 100% guarantee :mrgreen:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 10:39 pm

You have to say that Rochdale produced a complete performance, carrying out their manager's plan to perfection.

I initially thought they were going to burn themselves out, such was the intensity of their efforts, most noticeably from Henderson who put us under tremendous pressure from the front and never let our defenders settle.

Andrew could do no wrong and looked anything but the journeyman I thought he was.

We could not cope with being closed down quickly and being denied space and not one outfield player could be considered as having played well enough.

Our formation simply played even more into their hands, as we had none of the width that we have used to such effect this season. It was evident very early on that it wasn't working and the formation and/or personnel should have been changed much sooner.

On the few occasions that we did anything menacing, Rochdale simply countered it with a cynical foul and took a booking to preserve their superiority.

I thought the days had gone when so many players would underperform in the same match, but how wrong I was.

Our performance was worrying in that yet again we have been beaten by a team whose prime objective was to close us down quickly and yet we have been found wanting in being able to overcome it.

We never got anywhere near their tempo, nor looked like trying to at any point. We were easily contained and did not have the wherewithal to break them down.

For this team to have produced so little in 90 minutes is a surprise, a disappointment and a worry, especially as the players individually and collectively are capable of so much more.

Fortunately there is plenty of the season left to put this setback behind us and to re-establish our credentials, but in the meantime well played Rochdale.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 11:19 pm

Shredded by a rampant Rochdale team that tore out our guts and farted a goal feast with bone shattering effiency.

A football cornucopia reminding me that football is a game of shocking bitterness and distress.

A Titanicesque disaster.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 11:36 pm

Tough pitch against tough opposition.

We stuck with a system that had served us so well, especially through December, but looked like it needed changing almost from the kick-off.

Strange selection today if the 16 were all capable of 90 minutes.

Let's hope one positive is that Coventry will go in to the next match that really counts thinking they've already won.

Backing us to bounce back.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 11:45 pm


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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:04 am

You won't see a better away performance than the one we saw from Rochdale today. They were all over us right from the word go and I don't think there was a single minute of the game in which we looked the better side. I have no problems admitting we were well beaten by a getter side, and fair play to Keith Hill for implementing a game plan so well. We didn't have any answers.

What concerned me most from our point of view was just how lost some of our players looked trying to play in that system. The midfield was all over the shop and got absolutely trounced, there was no protection for either full back (hence why Demetriou and Taylor both had absolute stinkers), and we had two strikers who seemed happy to be marked and hope for the best. Then to make matters worse, Sawyers' search for the ball saw him slot in as our deepest midfielder at times - basically meaning the gap between the midfield and front two was huge.

If I'm being critical of SO'D, I'd say he could have easily changed things as soon as he saw how Rochdale's set-up was battering us - and that was long before Bradshaw was introduced at 0-2. Even as early as 20 minutes in, I'd have shifted Forde out to the right, Lalkovic the left, and had Sawyers just behind Cook. It might not have created a pile more chances, but it might have stopped their fullbacks bombing forward at will.

Anyway, I'd rather the manager and 10 of his players had a bad one-off game at the same time than smaller handfuls of players not being at the races every few weeks. Let's hope the former was the case today.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:00 am

Yesterday we played very similar to Liverpool before Brendon Rodgers got the sack, coincidence maybe? :lol:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 10:24 am

Mazza01 wrote:Yesterday we played very similar to Liverpool before Brendon Rodgers got the sack, coincidence maybe? :lol:


Maybe Jurgen Klopp will come in next and we'll get even worse.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 10:53 am

Bristol Fan wrote:
Mazza01 wrote:Yesterday we played very similar to Liverpool before Brendon Rodgers got the sack, coincidence maybe? :lol:


Maybe Jurgen Klopp will come in next and we'll get even worse.


My comment was tongue in cheek, but we did over pass at times yesterday which encouraged the opposition onto us.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:00 am

Perhaps O'Driscoll ain't the brilliant tactician he's made out to be.

Easily the worst performance of the season and for Etheridge to be MoM (which he was) after conceding three goals says everything about that performance yesterday.

Taylor had struggled against Posh in the previous match and began in the same vein yesterday. And while I can understand the SoD may have preferred him to Henry To deal which the aerial threat from Vincenti, he should have swapped them after 15minutes.

No shots on target... Not even Smith at his most boring was that bad.

Perhaps if we stopped passing to feet and instead roll the ball into space for players to run on to especially in the box, we might threaten the goal more.

P.S. Note to one to two of the more 'talented' players: you have two feet, there is no law in football which insists that you only use The same one all game to shift the ball.

P.P.S. Why he took Lalkovic off and left Forde on ( unless like me he'd forgotten he was on the pitch) I'll never know.

P.P.P.S. Message to O'Driscoll: IF IT AINT BROKE, DONT FIX IT!

P.P.P.P.S Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Last edited by Leatherman on Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:22 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:08 am



:shock: was that really our best effort in 90 minutes or just Sky taking the piss?

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:13 am

chestersaddler wrote:


:shock: was that really our best effort in 90 minutes or just Sky taking the piss?


We weren't that good. :(

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:13 am

sid swifty wrote:First league game I've been to for 4yrs,if Walsall were as bad as they looked today they would be in the bottom 3, so it must be one of those once in a while performances.I must admit though, Rochdale were electrifying, Walsall just couldn't live with the energy and fight their midfield put into the game,or the speed and skill of their forwards especially Donal Mcdermott,what a player.


I bet you wish you'd taken the tenner I offered you not to go (I do) :lol:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:21 am

If this was SOD's first attempt to impose his own style/tactics it went badly wrong. As someone says (above), if it ain't broke, don't fix it :(
What ever you say about the previous "formula", it was delivering. If it ain't .... Oh, I already pinched that.... :?

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:22 am

What's the Rochdale board saying?
:?:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:30 am

SWS1 wrote:What's the Rochdale board saying?
:?:


We are crap for a guess just like the Millwall and Peterborough fans both said :lol:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:12 pm

on a brighter note brentford lost :lol:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:57 pm

Just one last thing on yesterday's game. Jordan Cook went off with a cut. The ref waited through several phases of play and until the ball went out of play before allowing him back on. I think this was a complete mis-interpretation of the laws of the game. Whilst it is at the refs discretion, the only reason for such a delay would be that the ref needed to ensure that the bleeding had stopped. I didn't see him examine Cook in any way, shape or form so must conclude that he felt the ball needed to go out before he he could wave him back on which is wrong.

The standard of officiating this season is probably worst I've ever seen, but if the refs don't know the rules then it is even worse than I thought.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:58 pm

funk_hits_the_fan wrote:We are all disappointed at today's result, but every cloud has a silver lining. UTS's resident master of facts and humble pie eating has been motivated to post again after the very public resignation from this board less than a week ago! :lol:

otiswfc wrote:No I'm sorry but I'm bored now of this I give an honest view on this forum only to be victimised by idiots I give analysis, attendance.stats and various other personal opinions as well as useful information im now logging out of this forum like the majority of Walsall fans I'm really sorry but you will never see otiswfc on this board again. Carry on with your boring nauseating views scott_powell 100,% guarantee u won't hear from me again and this board will be a more boring place.
Goodbye,
UTS,
I love walsall fc see you at Brentford,. Goodbye.


I, for one, feel so much better now. Welcome back, Mr 100% guarantee :mrgreen:

After 8 pints of Highgate old ale I forgot about my public resignation as you put it.
Ps no humble pie was eaten with my old ale Sawyers performance yesterday was the reason he'll never be a "top draw" player
Meanwhile I watched the Gillingham highlights this morning and Bradley Dack proved why he has a better chance of moving up a level he's basically just a better player and oh yeah he scored again.
Bad day at the office all round yesterday though by all the player's that's all it was no need to panic.
Burton have lost game's and bounced back coventry went 4-5 without a win and are still in with a shout, let's get the pantomime game on Saturday out the way then let's go and beat coventry on their own patch perfect response.

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sid swifty
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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 2:17 pm

chestersaddler wrote:
sid swifty wrote:First league game I've been to for 4yrs,if Walsall were as bad as they looked today they would be in the bottom 3, so it must be one of those once in a while performances.I must admit though, Rochdale were electrifying, Walsall just couldn't live with the energy and fight their midfield put into the game,or the speed and skill of their forwards especially Donal Mcdermott,what a player.


I bet you wish you'd taken the tenner I offered you not to go (I do) :lol:


No,not really,I learnt a valuable lesson yesterday,one I won't need to learn again.... :D .I wish them well though,and I'm sure they won't be outclassed like that again this season.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sun Jan 03, 2016 2:34 pm

having had further time for reflection I don't think we should get too hung up on systems...the fact is none of our outfield players played well and that was the reason we got hammered. At least Bradshaw and Henry got some game time and came through without any problems so should be available for the next two games. As others have said Rochdale played well and exposed our weaknesses better than anyone...lets hope confidence has not been damaged too much and we start another run.

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